Why Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms Should Not Prevent You from Getting Help

The fear of alcohol withdrawal symptoms is often enough to stop some drinkers from quitting the booze, but those who do often report that they feel absolutely wonderful once they stop drinking. It may take time to recover from an alcohol addiction, as well as a strong desire to change, but those who go on to lead a healthy, sober life often never look back. If these people can manage the alcohol withdrawal symptoms with the help of staff at a supervised facility, they will usually find that rehabilitation is easier than imagined.

Dangers of Excessive Alcohol Consumption

Those who regularly drink more than the recommended weekly alcohol amount of fourteen units are in danger of developing a host of problems. This binge drinking can lead to mental and physical health problems as well as addiction.

Drinking above what is considered to be safe levels means that you are likely to build up a tolerance to the effects of alcohol, which can lead to a physical dependence and subsequent alcohol withdrawal symptoms should you try to quit.

However, if you are not at the stage where you have a physical dependence on alcohol, you may still want to consider quitting. A series of before and after photos showing the difference being sober can do for your appearance might give you the motivation to quit drinking for a while at least.

The Effects of Alcohol

The photos show images of former drinkers when they were drinking and after they had quit, and the differences are quite dramatic. There are many illnesses associated with excessive alcohol consumption, both in the short- and long-term. Long-term illnesses include liver disease, brain damage, kidney disease, heart disease, and cancer.

However, what most people do not realise is that alcohol can also contribute to weight gain, and those who drink alcohol regularly will be consuming many more calories than they realise. Individuals that drink more than five pints of four per cent lager or beer in a twenty-four-hour period will consume the same number of calories as contained in three burgers. This would take the average person ninety minutes to burn these calories off through running.

A bottle of wine is only slightly lower in calories and is equivalent to two burgers, taking more than an hour to burn off. In one pint of beer, there are around two hundred calories. Four 25g measures of vodka are around 230 calories.

Reversing Short-Term Effects

The good news is that the short-term effects of alcohol on the appearance can be reversed with abstinence. As the photos show, the difference in weight, skin and overall appearance can be dramatic. One of the people featured in the photographs is known as Dr Dan, and he admitted to seeing a huge change after being clean for six months. In a post, he said, “In the first photograph, I found myself alone, nearly 300lbs, in an extraordinary amount of credit card debt and without a job, and, thankfully, at the tail-end of a six-year-long bender of drinking a fifth every day while often contemplating suicide, supporting my fellow alcoholic and abusive partner with just my below-poverty-line income, and fighting to complete my PhD.???

He added, ???Here I am last month, down to 180lbs, almost done with my first year sober, zero debt, engaged in a great career, and having found myself a caring, loving, non-drinking partner who I am very excited about. Heck, I’m even closing on a little cabin in the woods this month. I’m going to be a landowner.”

Overcoming an Alcohol Addiction

Many people do not even realise they have developed a problem with alcohol until they try to quit. Those who are frequently drinking more than the recommended amount could easily develop a physical dependence on it without being aware.

It is only when their drinking begins to cause adverse problems in their life that they start to wonder if they have a problem. Some will carry on regardless because they have convinced themselves that alcohol is the only good thing in their lives.

Those who want to quit alcohol may need a detoxification, particularly if they have become dependent on it. As alcohol affects almost every cell in the body, detox can be a complicated process. Most people will experience some kind of alcohol withdrawal symptoms that can range from mild to severe in intensity. Nevertheless, in a supervised detox facility, the most serious symptoms can usually be prevented.

It is important to be aware that an alcohol detox is never enough when it comes to recovering from this type of addiction. While quitting alcohol is vital, other issues need to be addressed too, such as the cause of the addictive behaviour in the first place. For more information on overcoming an alcohol addiction, contact us here at Addiction Helper today.

Source: What happens when you stop drinking alcohol? Incredible before and after photos show effects of too much booze (Mirror))

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